Human Fungal Infections in Kuwait—Burden and Diagnostic Gaps
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Microbiology Unit, Department of Laboratories, Farwaniya Hospital, P. O. Box 13373, Farwaniya 81004, Kuwait
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Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, P. O. Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait
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Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kuwait University, P. O. Box. 31470, Sulaibikhat 90805, Kuwait
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Virology Unit, Department of Laboratories, Yacoub Behbehani Center, Sabah Medical Area, P.O. Box 4078, Shuwaikh 13001, Kuwait
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Manchester Fungal Infection Group, The University of Manchester and the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
J. Fungi 2020, 6(4), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof6040306
Received: 26 October 2020
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Revised: 18 November 2020
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Accepted: 19 November 2020
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Published: 21 November 2020
Fungal infections are an increasingly important public health issue, yet accurate statistics on fungal burden worldwide and in Kuwait are scarce. Here we estimate the incidence and prevalence of fungal infections in Kuwait. Population statistics from 2018 collected by the Public Authority for Civil Information were used, as well as data from the Ministry of Health. A literature search for Kuwait data on mycotic diseases and population at risk (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, HIV infection/AIDS, cancer, and transplant patients) was conducted. The population in 2018 was estimated at 4,226,920 million people: 1,303,246 million Kuwaitis and 2,923,674 million expatriates. We determined the annual burden of serious fungal infections number (per 100,000) from high to low based on earlier reported fungal rates for populations at risk: recurrent Candida vaginitis 54,842 (2595); severe asthma with fungal sensitisation 10,411 (246); allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, 7887 (187); chronic pulmonary aspergillosis 995 (21.3); invasive aspergillosis 704 (16.7); fungal keratitis 654 (15.5); candidaemia 288 (6.8); Candida peritonitis 63 (3.5) and oesophageal candidiasis in HIV 33 (0.8). Besides identifying rising new risk groups and expanding reports on antifungal resistance, surveillance programs and further epidemiological studies are needed to achieve more precise assessments of fungal disease epidemiology and correlated morbidity and mortality.
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Keywords:
mycoses; epidemiology; aspergillosis; invasive fungal infections; dermatomycoses; Kuwait
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MDPI and ACS Style
Alfouzan, W.; Al-Wathiqi, F.; Altawalah, H.; Asadzadeh, M.; Khan, Z.; Denning, D.W. Human Fungal Infections in Kuwait—Burden and Diagnostic Gaps. J. Fungi 2020, 6, 306. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof6040306
AMA Style
Alfouzan W, Al-Wathiqi F, Altawalah H, Asadzadeh M, Khan Z, Denning DW. Human Fungal Infections in Kuwait—Burden and Diagnostic Gaps. Journal of Fungi. 2020; 6(4):306. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof6040306
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlfouzan, Wadha, Faten Al-Wathiqi, Haya Altawalah, Mohammad Asadzadeh, Ziauddin Khan, and David W. Denning. 2020. "Human Fungal Infections in Kuwait—Burden and Diagnostic Gaps" Journal of Fungi 6, no. 4: 306. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof6040306
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